Shake It Up: Great American Writing on Rock and Pop from Elvis to Jay Z

The Library of America series features a black-and-white photo of the author against a black background underscored by a patriotic ribbon and is as iconic as apple pie. It’s fitting that the cover of an anthology capturing the groundbreaking and rebellious nature of rock and roll defies this convention. Inspired by Phillip Lopate’s introduction to American Movie Critics, Dettmar (English, Pomona Coll.; Gang of Four’s Entertainment!) and Lethem (A Gambler’s Anatomy; Chronic City) successfully canonize rock and pop writing as a distinctive branch of American letters. A survey more than a chronological history, this collection pulls from the multiplicity of genres embedded under the rock moniker: jazz, punk, rap, and even experimental music. As a corollary, the multitude of voices in this collection are varied and diverse—especially noteworthy in a genre historically dominated by white men. From Jessica Hopper’s deconstruction of gender politics in emo music to Kelefa Sanneh’s musings on the limitations of Jay-Z’s lyricism as poetic text, this compilation is a stark reminder that rock and pop music are often simultaneously a disdain for and reflection of the society, culture, and time period in which it is produced.